Former U.S. Representative Alex Mooney Gives Presentation on Behalf of Lobbying Firm on Private Coalition Call
Headlines:
Ex-Congressman Alex Mooney’s Secret Capitol Hill Role Revealed in Presentation with Lobbyist
Behind Closed Doors: How Former Lawmakers Quietly Games the System
From Congress to Private Interests: Mooney’s Behind-the-Scenes Capitol Hill Access Exposed
Lede:
In February 2025, former Congressman Alex Mooney (R-WV) delivered a presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA) on behalf of a prominent DC lobbying firm, according to a recording revealed by Source Code and Popular Information. In a statement to Popular Information, the firm asserted that both it and Congressman Mooney acted appropriately. However, the presentation shows Mooney sharing details from recent Capitol Hill discussions on active legislation, including the budget, underscoring how former lawmakers can wield informal influence behind the scenes.
The details:
In February 2025, former Congressman Alex Mooney delivered a presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance on behalf of Capitol South, LLC, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. CEA President Margaret Iuculano noted that Mooney would soon be "lobbyists representing Christian Employers Alliance on the Hill as we finalize our legislative agenda." Mooney did not push back on the characterization during the presentation.
Congressman Mooney gave the presentation from Capitol Hill, where he detailed recent conversations with lawmakers about the budget and tax policy.
Congressman Mooney has not been publicly linked to Capitol South, LLC. In a recent op-ed in the Daily Caller, Congressman Mooney was described as a Senior Advisor at Competitive Markets Action (CMA), an organization run by the president of Capitol South, LLC.
In a statement to Popular Information, Irby confirmed Mooney was "a consultant to our firm on issues related strictly to Agriculture and the Farm Bill."
Just one year ago, in February 2024, Mooney was awarded Legislator of the Year by CMA. On the presentation, Capitol South founder, Marty Irby, praised Mooney, noting the Congressman had a "perfect score on our issues."
Iuculano expressed enthusiasm for the partnership with Congressman Mooney, exclaiming, “We're gonna have a powerful team on the Hill to represent our business concerns.”
Why it matters:
Federal law prohibits former members of Congress from engaging in lobbying activities targeting lawmakers, Senators, or their staff for a one-year period following their departure from office -- a restriction commonly referred to as a "cooling-off period." Violators could face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $50,000. While Irby denies Mooney engaged in direct lobbying, Mooney's presentation to the Christian Employers Alliance sheds light on how former lawmakers leverage their connections.
Marty Irby, founder of Capitol South, LLC, joined Mooney on the CEA presentation. Irby also serves as the president of Competitive Markets Action (CMA), Inc., a 501(c)(4) organization focused on agricultural policy and farming legislation. Irby detailed his past work with Congressman Mooney, noting, “Congressman Mooney was actually our legislator of the year, which is kind of how we got to be friends.”
As reported by Popular Information, hiring former members of Congress as consultants has become a highly profitable strategy for lobbying firms. Additionally, the majority of voters believe the ban on lobbying should be raised from one year to five years, according to recent polling.
Mooney has faced repeated ethical questions throughout his career. In 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) released an investigation into Mooney, alleging he used campaign funds for a lavish Caribbean vacation. While the investigation was eventually closed, the House panel concluded that the campaign had failed to fully adhere to ethical standards.
Key quotes:
Margaret Iuculano: And he [Mooney] has joined Marty Irby, who is the president of Capitol South. It's a lobbying house in DC on the hill. They're also are soon to be lobbyists representing Christian Employers Alliance on the Hill as we finalize our legislative agenda, which we are hoping to have done in the next two weeks. And so we're gonna have a powerful team on the Hill to represent our business concerns. And I just have to say Marty, because he won't say it about himself. I've known him a long time, but there are thousands and thousands of registered lobbyists on the Hill in DC. And he has been rated one of the top 10 lobbyists for six or seven years. on and off or straight. I can't remember. I can't keep up with it, but of our values. And I can just say, working with him on the Hill, he's got incredible representation, relationships really is what I should say, on both sides. And he's just really, really good at what he does. And so this is our first opportunity to be able to introduce you both as they will be representing us in the near future on the Hill.
Alex Mooney: Awesome, man. Thanks, Marty. I couldn't agree more. The term lobbyist is not a bad word. Good guys have lobbyists. The National Rifle Association, NRA, has a lobbyist to defend our Second Amendment rights. There are lobbyists for manufacturers who just make products we need. You know, there are lobbyists that lobby for causes we believe in.
Marty Irby: And I have to say, of all the members of Congress I've worked with, there's just handful that have what I would call a perfect score on our issues. Congressman Mooney was actually our legislator of the year, which is kind of how we got to be friends a couple of years ago last year.
Margaret Iuculano: Thank you, Congressman. I know we're out of time, and I definitely want to be respectful of yours and Marty's time. I know you guys are on the Hill and very busy today. And so we thank you.
Alex Mooney: Of course, I just left on January 3rd. Prior to that, I did spend 12 years in the State Senate. And, you know, I guess my role has been elected official first elected 26 years ago to the State Senate. The lobbyists inform us. You know, I sit there in committee and I have meetings in my office and the lobbyists come in. They're experts on the issue topic that I have to vote on. And I really valued a, you know, a half an hour meeting with a lobbyist. and the association, like your association, to come in and say, hey, this is our view on it, that was very informative and very valuable.
Margaret Iuculano: And just for the CEA members on the call today, this is why we've engaged with Marty's lobbying firm to help us come up with a really solid legislative agenda at the Hill level, as well as in the state level so we can take Congressman Mooney's advice and get some of this stuff codified and follow the proper process, right? And so... That's why we're really excited to have you both on the call today and introduce you to the members because utilizing Marty's talents on the Hill and helping us get this all coordinated is gonna be a win-win for all of us.
Alex Mooney: There are other Republican members of Congress. I've talked to one just last week, a good friend of mine, I won't say the name, and they were critical of the cuts. They said, it's cutting too much and too fast. So the holdup is over the cuts, and they can work out the differences on the tax policies.
Margaret Iuculano: So. Engage with us. Feel free to reach out to Jason and I and join our government relations committee if this is of interest of you to be able to work with Marty and Congressman Moody as we hit the hill and try to fix some of this. So I appreciate you both. Thank you so much for coming on.
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